Going Home
by Zanza8
Summary: Set after the end of the series and a sequel to The Kite and Wisdom of the Heart. Letty returns to Dodge for good. Note-Kathleen Hite was a writer for Gunsmoke.
1. Chapter 1

The train pulled into the station and passengers began to descend-first in ones and twos, then in a rush. Among them was a young women with blue eyes and fair hair, holding the arm of a tall young man. He had the dark complexion that went with his crisp black hair and deep brown eyes but at the moment he looked a bit pale and his voice was hoarse with weariness. "I don't see anybody waiting to meet you, Letty."

Letty looked guilty. "Rob, to tell you the truth, I didn't tell them I was coming."

The young man's eyes widened. "You didn't tell them you were coming!"

Letty shook her head. "I wanted to surprise them."

Rob looked at her shrewdly. "Is that the only reason?"

She smiled and took his hand. "I also didn't want a big reception as soon as we got off the train. I want you to see a little of Dodge before you meet my family."

He smiled back fondly, rubbing his thumb over the sparkling diamond on her left hand. "Sweetheart, I know you think of this place as home but after all, I'm not sure I'd want to spend the rest of my life here." She gave him a look and he held up a hand. "I know, I know. I'm supposed to wait and see what I think."

Letty's voice was sharp. "Rob, Dodge may not be as sophisticated as England or the East coast but I can promise you one thing. It's a place where you'll always be needed, and so will I."

Rob sighed. "Well, you wait here and I'll get the luggage. Where did you say we were staying?"

"Ma Smalley's." Rob's lips echoed the words soundlessly and Letty said firmly, "It's a very nice place. Ma took care of me when I was a little girl and we'll be treated like royalty there."

He shook his head. "I still can't believe you didn't at least tell Mr Haggen you were coming. I should think a policeman could keep a secret."

"Festus isn't a policeman, he's a deputy marshal." Letty paused, then said quietly, "And I couldn't write to him because he can't read."

Rob regarded her incredulously. "How can a man be expected to uphold the law if he can't read?"

Letty touched the tiny gold cross she always wore around her neck. "It takes more than reading to keep people safe, Rob." A shadow crossed her face. "Sometimes it takes all a man has to give."


	2. Chapter 2

Letty walked up to the doors of the Longbranch and peeked over, then turned to Rob, frowning. "Well, the marshal's there, and Miss Kitty and Doc and Sam, but I don't see Festus."

"Sweetheart, you didn't let anybody know you were coming," said the young man reasonably. "You can't expect everybody to be waiting for you."

"I know, but...well, he's usually here by now." Letty bit her lip. "I hope nothing's wrong."

"Do your friends look worried?"

Letty glanced inside again, then shook her head. "No. All right, let's go in." Taking a deep breath, she pushed the doors open and they walked into the saloon side by side.

Kitty looked up, did a double-take, and hurried to the young woman. "Letty!"

Letty threw her arms around Kitty. "Miss Kitty! Oh, Miss Kitty, it's so good to see you!"

Matt and Doc and Sam came up. They were all smiling and for the next few minutes Rob stood back, watching as Letty traded hugs with her old friends. Then there was a jingle of spurs outside and Letty spun around.

"Festus!" Rob turned as Letty ran past him. She threw herself at the newcomer and he picked her right up off the floor. They held each other tightly and it was a very long moment before he set her on her feet, saying gruffly, "Ain't you never goin' to learn I got to breathe?"

Letty laughed through the tears in her eyes. "I'm just so glad to see you again." She took his hand and turned towards Rob. "Rob, this is Festus Haggen. Festus, Dr Robert Parker." She took a deep breath. "Rob is my fiancé."

"Yore fiansay!" Festus' eyes twinkled. "You ain't old enough to be gettin' hitched, are you?"

The young woman tossed her head. "I was twenty-three in August."

The deputy nodded solemnly. "That is pretty old. You'd best be gettin' this feller to the church before you dry up and blow away." Letty laughed and he offered a hand to Rob. "It's a pure pleasure to meet you."

Rob took the deputy's hard brown hand. "It's quite an honor to meet you, Mr Haggen. I've heard a lot about you."

"Fiddle, you don't got to call me Mr Haggen," said Festus warmly. "My name's Festus."

"And I'm Rob."

They shook hands and Letty took Rob's arm as Doc asked, "Did I hear you say this young man was a doctor?" She nodded, smiling, and he smiled back and offered his hand. "Well, sir, it is indeed a pleasure to meet you. This town could use another doctor."

Rob glanced at Letty and she said quickly, "Rob, this is Doctor Galen Adams, but we all just call him Doc. And Marshal Matt Dillon and Sam Noonan and Miss Kitty Russell. She owns the Longbranch." Rob shook hands all around and Letty grinned at Kitty. "Miss Kitty, the last time I was in here you threw me out. Do you suppose I could stay long enough to have just one drink?"

Kitty laughed. "I think that would be all right. Sam, bring us some champagne and don't forget a glass for yourself."

The bartender smiled. "Coming right up, Miss Kitty." He left and Rob looked at Letty, bemused.

"Did I hear you say the last time you were here you were thrown out?"

Letty assumed a prim expression. "Miss Kitty doesn't allow anybody to get drunk and disorderly in her place."

The young man looked alarmed and Kitty shook her head at Letty. "Rob, don't listen to her. She was just a child when her father brought her in here."

"Ah." Rob took Letty's hand. "Was that when..."

Letty nodded. "He wanted to find the man who killed my mother. We went to every saloon in town." Everybody fell silent until Letty said brightly, "We only did that one day and then the marshal and Festus started guarding me around the clock." She laughed. "Festus, do you remember how I sneaked out and left you guarding my doll?"

The deputy rubbed his head. "I remember all right."

"So do I," grumbled Doc. "You're lucky you didn't wind up with a concussion."

The laughter died out of Letty's face and she stared at Doc. "What do you mean, a concussion?"

"Never mind Doc," said Festus hastily. "He's gettin' so old'n feeble he don't know what he's sayin' half the time."

Letty turned to the deputy. "Did you get hurt?"

Festus looked exasperatedly at Doc and the old man sighed. "Letty, if you must know, he got hit on the head. Obviously it didn't do any damage...well, there isn't anything in his head to damage in the first place."

"Why, you blamed old quack..."

"Quack! I've told you a thousand times..."

"All right, you two, that's enough," said Kitty sternly. Festus and Doc subsided as Sam returned with the champagne and glasses and poured drinks all round. "What are we drinking to?" asked the bartender, standing next to the table.

Kitty smiled and raised her glass. "How about Dodge City's new doctor?"

The toast was followed by a cheerful evening, marred only by the unspoken observation that Rob set his drink down untouched.


	3. Chapter 3

The sky was a deep cloudless blue that seemed to go on forever over the rustling golden prairie that seemed to go on forever and Rob was puzzled when Letty pulled up her horse and got off. "It was here," she said, holding the reins.

Rob jumped down and took her hand. They walked along slowly and he asked, "How can you tell? It all looks the same to me."

Letty was silent for a moment. "Rob, I can't explain how I know...but I do. It was here. I thought I was alone but Festus was following me...and I'd said some terrible things to him the night before but he saw me riding out and he wanted to be sure I was all right..." She stopped, shivering. Rob put his arms around her and she shook her head. "I'm all right. It was three years ago but all of a sudden it seems like yesterday. These two men just came out of nowhere and pulled me off my horse...if Festus hadn't been there..."

"You said he got shot."

"He almost died." Letty's voice dropped until Rob could barely hear her. "Doc always said it was a miracle...said when he went to get the marshal and Miss Kitty he didn't really think Festus would be alive when he got back..."

Rob's voice was very quiet. "And this is the place you want us to live and raise our children?" She stopped walking and they faced each other as he went on. "Letty, I know how you feel about your friends..."

"Do you, Rob? I don't think so," said Letty sadly. "They aren't just my friends. They're my family and this place is my home. I've been away too long as it is and I don't want to leave again."

"What about me? What if I don't want to stay here?"

Letty shook her head wordlessly, then got up on her horse and kicked it into a gallop towards Dodge, Rob watching her until she was almost out of sight before he followed.


	4. Chapter 4

Doc was at his examination table making up pills when he heard a familiar jingle of spurs and Festus opened the door. "Doc, I sure am sorry to be botherin' you..."

"Then don't," snapped the old man. "Go away and don't forget to close the door behind you."

Festus came in and closed the door, then pulled off his hat and turned it nervously in his hands. "Fact is, Letty made me promise I'd come'n see you."

Doc turned around. "She did?" Festus nodded and the old man asked gruffly, "Well, what is it?"

The deputy sat by the door and pulled a piece of paper out of his vest pocket. "Doc, Letty got it in her head that she wanted to learn me to read writin'..."

The old man regarded his friend with astonishment. "Do you mean to tell me that after all these years you're finally going to learn how to read? What brought that on?"

Festus snorted. "It warn't my idea. Letty wants to work at the schoolhouse and she said if'n I learnt to read writin' it would show what a good teacher she wuz."

Doc's eyes twinkled at the young woman's innocent subterfuge. "Well, I must say that makes a lot of sense." Festus nodded glumly and his friend asked, "Why did she send you to me?"

"Well, the first thing she done wuz to write out the letters for me to copy." Festus held out the paper. "I done it for her and she tuck one look and said I wuz to come to you and have you check my eyes."

Doc took the paper, frowning as he looked it over. "Festus, how long did it take you to do this?"

"Oh, just a few minutes." The deputy looked puzzled. "Is there somethin' wrong with my eyes, Doc? Letty said it wuz all wrong but I wrote it out for her just the way she done it."

"The letters are mixed up," said the old man half to himself. He ran his hand over his face. "Come out on the landing where the light's better."

They went outside and Doc looked carefully at Festus' eyes, then shook his head. "They look all right. Come back inside." He cleared the medicines off the examination table. "Have a seat." He held up a finger. "Now keep your head still and just follow my finger with your eyes."

For almost an hour Doc did every test he could think of on the deputy's eyes. Finally he sat at his desk and wrote something, then handed it to Festus. "Here, copy that for me."

"Oh, Doc, I don't want to do no more writin' today. My head is startin' to hurt."

Doc scowled. "Do you want me to go to Letty and tell her you wouldn't co-operate with me when I tried to examine you?"

"I been coppertatin'!" The deputy glared, then took the pencil and paper and sat at the desk. "All right, you ornery old scutter, I'll do this last bit but then I'm goin' over to the Longbranch and get me a drink. A man cain't be run ragged like this all day..." He scrawled slowly on the paper while Doc watched intently. "There, are you happy?" Festus thrust the paper at Doc. The old man looked at the writing, then sat down by the door. He suddenly looked very tired and the deputy asked anxiously, "Doc, what is it? Am I goin' blind or somethin'?"

Doc shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with your eyes, Festus."

Festus was relieved. "Then I can tell Letty I saw you and I'm all right."

"I didn't say that." The deputy looked alarmed but he remained silent while the old man arranged his thoughts. "Festus, as far as I can tell your eyesight is just fine, but for some reason you're not seeing the letters clearly."

"What do you mean, Doc?"

The old man's voice was tight with frustration. "I wrote out your name for you and you copied half of it backwards...you didn't even get the second G in Haggen."

Festus hung his head. "I done the best I could. I ain't never had no schoolin', you know."

"Oh, for Heaven's sakes." Doc leaned forward and said gently, "I'm not saying it's your fault, Festus. I don't know why you're not seeing the letters the way they're written. It's as if you see them all scrambled or something."

The deputy looked up. "Doc, you mean I cain't learn to read even if'n I wanted to?"

Doc shook his head sadly. "I just don't see how you can if you can't see the letters properly."

"Reckon you can tell Letty, Doc?" Festus' voice was very low. "She's gonna be awful dis'pointed...she sure did have her heart set on learnin' me and I wuz really fixin' to go to work and do the best I could for her."

Doc looked into his friend's gentle hazel eyes-eyes that had always perceived so much and now saw so little-and his own eyes filled with tears. "I'll tell her, old boy."


	5. Chapter 5

Festus sat by the river under the big cottonwood tree, watching the play of light and shadow over the water. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear the hooves behind him and he jumped when a soft hand dropped on his shoulder.

"I might have known I'd find you here," said Letty, dropping to the ground at the deputy's side.

He continued to stare out over the water. "Doc talk to you, did he?" Letty nodded. "I sure am sorry, honey..."

She cut him off. "Don't say that. Don't you ever..." Letty's voice broke and Festus wrapped his arms around her and rocked her as he had always done when she was upset. She relaxed, secure in his love, then sat up and regarded him sternly. "Festus Haggen, I'm surprised at you."

He was startled. "What do you mean?"

"After all that you've done for me...after all that you've been to me, do you really think I care if you learn to read or not?"

The deputy sighed. "It ain't that, Letty. It's just...well, you looked that pleased when I said you could learn me to read writin'..." He took a deep breath. "I cain't say I was enthusiastical 'bout the learnin' but it would have been a pure pleasure to do somethin' to make you that happy." Letty took his hand and he smiled a little. "I ain't frettin' 'bout it. I don't rightly know how old I am but I've lived a good many years 'thout knowin' how to read and I reckon I can finish up my time that way. Leastways now I got a good excuse for that old scutter Doc when he gets on me 'bout not readin'."

Letty squeezed his hand. "Festus, you know Doc thinks you're just about the smartest man he ever met."

"I know that," said the deputy softly. "Fact is, they's a whole heap of things I know how to do I couldn't teach Doc if'n I wuz to take the rest of my life." His face turned thoughtful. "Mebbe that's just the way it wuz meant to be...folks bein' smart in dif'rent ways so's they can help each other out." He looked out over the water again. "I will have to say I'm sorry I won't never be able to read the Bible. I remember my Grandpa Hawg Haggen readin' to me out of the Bible when I warn't no bigger'n a tater bug, and my nephew Sweet Billy's wife Orabelle reads to him from the Bible..."

Letty got up and went to her horse, then came back with a small book bound in leather. She sat down again next to Festus and gave the book to him. "I got this for you in England. It's the New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs. I was..." She took a deep breath. "I was saving it for when you could read it."

Festus thumbed through the little book, perplexed. "Honey, they ain't no sense in givin' it to me now. I ain't never goin' to be able to read it."

"I want you to have it. I want you to keep it with you all the time so whenever you want to hear something I'll be able to read it to you." Letty took the deputy's hands and opened the Testament to the dedication page. "Look what I wrote here." He peered at the words as she pointed to each one. "To Festus with all my love from Letty." She closed the book and tucked it into his shirt pocket, then got to her feet and held out her hand. "Now let's go home."


	6. Chapter 6

Rob pushed open the doors of the Longbranch and went up to the bar. "Can I get a whiskey, Sam?"

"Coming right up," said the bartender. He poured a shot and handed it to Rob and the young man took out a coin. Sam shook his head. "Miss Kitty said your money's no good in here."

Rob took a sip. "Well, thank Miss Kitty for me, would you?" Sam smiled and nodded and Rob went over to a table. He was on his third whiskey when the marshal came in with a man Rob had not seen before. They collected beers and came over to his table to sit down.

"Rob, I don't think you met Newly O'Brian. Newly, this is Dr Robert Parker, Letty's fiancé," said Matt.

Rob extended his hand, observing the badge on the man's chest. "Are you a deputy too, Mr O'Brian?"

"Newly." They shook hands and Newly smiled. "I'm mostly a gunsmith but I help the marshal out from time to time. I just got back from delivering a prisoner to Hays City."

"Say, Rob, have you seen Festus?" asked Matt. "I can't seem to find him anywhere."

"I haven't seen him, marshal." Rob drank some more whiskey. "I don't know where Letty is either."

Matt looked at him sharply. "They're probably down by the river. Well, it wasn't important but if you do see him will you tell him I want him?"

Rob nodded and the marshal left the two young men alone. Newly sipped his beer and said, "I understand this is your first visit to Dodge City."

"That's right." Rob finished his drink and stared into the empty glass as if debating whether to buy another. "I don't remember Letty talking about you."

"Well, I've only been in Dodge a few years myself and I wasn't here when she visited last time." Newly collected the glasses and went over to the bar, returning with a coffeepot and two cups.

Rob looked slightly more interested. "Where are you from originally, Newly?"

"Pennsylvania." Newly poured the coffee and handed a cup to Rob.

"Pennsylvania." Rob tasted the coffee, added sugar, tried it again. "Nice place, Pennsylvania."

Newly took a sip of coffee. "The whole East coast is a nice place, wouldn't you say?"

Rob looked up. "I certainly would. This dusty little cowtown in the middle of nowhere..." He stopped abruptly.

Newly nodded thoughtfully. "Dodge has become home to me but I can still remember the first time I saw it." He smiled reminiscently. "It sure didn't look like much. I wasn't planning on staying but...well, I got to know some of the folks. I knew gunsmithing and blacksmithing and I started doing a little work, and then I started helping out the marshal..." The young man shrugged. "I just settled in and before I knew it this was the place I wanted to spend the rest of my life."

"That's how Letty feels," said Rob gloomily. "We met in England...she was teaching at a branch of the Troy Female Seminary and I was taking a vacation after finishing medical school." Now it was his turn to reminisce. "She had six months to go with the school and I had been planning to tour all of Europe but the day I met her I changed my plans. I stayed in England until she was ready to come back to the States and we got engaged on the boat over." Rob shrugged uneasily. "I've never been west of St Louis in my life but Letty kept talking about Festus and Dodge City and how she wanted to come back. I wanted to please her so I agreed to come here."

Newly drank more coffee. "For a visit."

Rob nodded vigorously. "For a visit! I didn't really think she would want to stay here. Newly, if you could have seen her in England...fancy clothes and the daintiest little palomino pony...we went riding every Sunday and I would see her sometimes at her boarding house...the most exclusive boarding house in London and you couldn't get past the front door without a written invitation from the proprietor AND there were always at least two chaperones at all times..."

"Sounds a lot different from Ma Smalley's," grinned Newly.

"Well, Mrs Smalley keeps a pretty close eye on Letty," said Rob. He assumed a virtuous expression. "Not that she needs to...my intentions have always been completely honorable. Now, though..." He shook his head and poured another cup of coffee. "I don't know what my intentions are. I don't know what to do..."

Newly pushed his cup back and forth. "My wife Patricia was just passing through when I met her. She was a governess from back East and we got caught in a tornado." Rob's eyes widened and Newly smiled. "Talk about a bad first impression...but I loved her and she married me...I'll never know how I managed it but she married me..."

"Does she like Dodge?" asked Rob.

Newly closed his eyes. "She had leukemia when I asked her to marry me."

Rob bit his lip. "I'm sorry, Newly."

Newly opened his eyes. "So am I. But I'm not sorry for the time we had together and I'm not sorry it was here in Dodge." His eyes met Rob's. "I could give you ten thousand reasons why I loved Patricia. One of them is that she loved my home and my family. I lost her but I still have my memories here where we were happy..." Newly's voice dropped. "With the people who loved us both."


	7. Chapter 7

Rob was standing by the window in Ma Smalley's parlor when Letty and Festus rode up and he watched in silence as the deputy held the rein for the young woman while she got down. "Now I'll take this old horse over to the stable for you, honey, and then I'll be wantin' to see you and your young man over at Delmonico's. I'm fixin' to buy you both the best vittles you can hold and I mean it." He touched his hat and Rob was struck by the sweetness of the man's smile and the adoring look in Letty's eyes as she gazed up at him. Festus went off down the street leading Letty's horse and Rob went out onto the porch as she ran up the steps.

"Rob!" Her expression was a mixture of pleasure and guilt and he smiled wryly as she went on. "Oh, Rob, I'm sorry I was gone so long. I know I should have left a note but Doc told me...something...and I just had to talk to Festus." She took his hand and smiled at him appealingly. "I really am sorry, sweetheart."

Rob shook his head. "It's all right, Letty. The marshal was looking for Festus but he said it wasn't important. I guess that means there hasn't been a bank robbery or a herd of cattle stolen or any gunfights today."

Letty's smile faded. "What are you talking about, Rob?"

"I'm talking about Dodge City being completely different from anything I grew up with. I'm talking about it being the last place I planned to live." Rob took a deep breath. "I'm going to have to ask you for that ring back."

Letty's face turned white but her hands were steady as she drew off the ring and handed it to Rob. He turned it around in his hand, looking at her somberly. "Letty, when I asked you to marry me I didn't know what I was getting into. I thought we'd come here and you'd have a quick visit and we'd get on with our lives and now...now I see this place is your life. You couldn't wait to get back to Dodge and you'll never leave Festus again..."

The young woman's eyes filled with tears. "I love him, Rob. He's the only father I ever knew."

Rob slipped the ring back on her finger. "Then you'll have to ask him to walk you down the aisle." Her cheeks were wet with tears and he wiped them away. "That's if you'll still have me. Will you, Letty?"

His only answer was a fierce hug.


	8. Chapter 8

_Epilogue:_

_The little girl ran along the river, then turned to wait. She was a bit thin and pale but still very pretty, with enormous hazel eyes and dark hair gleaming with red highlights in the sun. Her given name was Kathleen, but everybody called her Kitty. _

_ The old lady making her slow way after the child smiled and waved. "I'll be right there, honey!"_

_ Kitty waved back, then ran off again. When the woman finally reached the huge cottonwood tree the child was nowhere to be seen, but she was not alarmed. She sat on a little bench, laying aside the flowers they had brought. She knew Kitty could not be far and would soon join her, and it was only a moment before the little girl ran up and climbed in her lap._

_ "Grandma Letty, why does it take you so long to walk over here now?"_

_ Letty sighed. "I must be getting old."_

_ Kitty frowned. "How old are you?"_

_ "That's no question to ask a lady!" Kitty laughed and Letty asked, "Do you want to take the flowers?"_

_ "Yes, please." Kitty picked up the bouquet and laid it against a white granite headstone next to the bench, then ran her hand over the letters. "Festus Haggen...Galen Adams."_

_ Letty smiled fondly. "Can you read the rest?"_

_ Kitty wrinkled her nose in concentration. "They were lovely and...and...wait. Let me start again. They were lovely and pleasant in their lives and in their deaths they were not divided."_

_ "Very good!" Letty clapped her hands and Kitty smiled proudly._

_ "What does not divided mean?" _

_ "It means Festus and Doc were always best friends."_

_ Kitty sat down in the grass by the stone. "Tell me about them again, Grandma Letty. Tell me all about the marshal and Miss Kitty and Festus and Doc."_

_ "Well, Festus was a hillman and the first time I ever met him he caught me with his lasso..." Kitty was entranced as Letty's voice went on and on, weaving another tale of the bygone days of Dodge City. The two were lost, one in her memories and the other in her dreams, until the evening breeze sprang to life and Letty shivered. "It's time we were getting home."_

_ Kitty ran her hand over the stone. "I don't want to go yet."_

_ Letty got stiffly to her feet. "Kathleen Hite, you know I promised your mother we'd get back in time for dinner." She held out her hand and Kitty took it as they started back along the river..._

_ ...and the legend was born._


End file.
